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I recently spotted the most adorable crochet jacket photographed on a toddler that was pale pink with a golden yellow trim and I JUST HAD TO MAKE ONE. I love it when inspiration strikes you crazy like that. Here’s the one I made for Clementine:

It’s about a size 4, thank you dear Elliot for helping me verify. What a cooperative little boy. I love that he doesn’t even think twice about putting on a pink sweater. It’s a little small on him, though, and truly it was meant for Clementine in the first place and I think it will fit her next fall. He also mentioned he would prefer it with flowers, and I’m really not into crocheting scads of little flowers right now. I made up the pattern, just kept half double crocheting around and around at the width I wanted until it was tall enough and then picked up and crocheted in the round for the sleeves until they were long enough. The yellow is a single crochet trim.

The sweater was pretty cute with just pink, but it was stinkin cute once I added the trim, it just really popped with the contrast color. I superlovelovelove it. The yarn was from Joann, the pale pink is a wool blend from Martha Stewart and the yellow trim yarn was Vanna White or Deborah Norville? (You know, one of those 90’s TV blondes? I cannot keep them straight in the first place, and now they both have yarn collections. At Joann. To make it even more confusing).

I am seriously crushing on pink and yellow together. I remember a couple years back when JCrew had all their catalog models wearing pale pink and mustard yellow and I swore I would never like it. And now I love it. Hah! Here’s some more pink/yellow eye candy from my Pinterest boards for you to enjoy!

By the way, thanks for all of your interesting comments about my Pinterest-ownership-angst. I feel like that kind of post always riles people up and invites negativity onto the blog when I don’t mean for that to happen. I really just wanted to raise awareness a little bit more and talk about it because I think it’s a fascinating topic. I’m sure I’m too much of a naive optimist, but I think (hope?) Pinterest will get it all figured out in a way that’s amenable to everyone. A work in progress. No reason to scream the sky is falling the sky is falling at this point. And by they way, please feel welcome to pin any of my images that don’t contain my kids’ faces to your heart’s content. I promise I will try to do a better job making sure that it’s clear when I don’t want something pinned.

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I cut Elliot’s hair about 50% of the time…I feel l can manage cutting the layers every few months, but then it really needs a professional’s guidance to give it a good shape again.

Clementine has only ever had her bangs cut, with the exception of a few little snips here and there for stragglers. Her bangs (as you can see from these pictures of the last haircut I gave her) generally look like a broom after I’m finished.

Today we’re going to go get REAL haircuts, woot!!! It’s Clementine’s first trip to the salon. I think I am going to cut off those long locks with what remains of her baby curls, because they’re getting harder to comb through without tears every day. It makes me a little sad, of course. But I’m imagining a cute little chin-length bob to go along with her blunt cut bangs. If she can sit still long enough!

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At the risk of sounding exactly like everyone else on the internet lately, I la-la-LOVE Pinterest. They’ve managed to make a website that is simple and beautiful and intuitive that really appeals to visual folks like me (which helps explain their 10 million+ visitors a month). Since my business (this blog and my pattern shop) is web-based — and therefore relies completely on web traffic to survive — it really amazed me recently to discover that Pinterest had become my number one source of referring traffic (and if what I’m reading on other blogs is any indication, this is true across the board for others as well). Here’s a sampling of the stuff people usually pin from my site:

As you might recall, I get touchy about other people using pictures of my kids (even if I’m inconsistent about stating it). For awhile I used to crop out their faces when I took pictures of them wearing the stuff I made for them, but honestly over the last year I’ve gotten pretty lazy about it. Then Pinterest got really big, and it started to bug me that it was now ten bajillion times easier to people take pictures of my kids and pin them. Here and there I would find pins that showed my kids’ faces, but for the most part I just decided to let it go. I figured, well, at least the pins all link back to my website. As a lame precaution, here and there I would post the words “Please do not use or pin pictures of Clementine” below pins I really didn’t want to see anywhere else. I guess I also sort of felt like “well it’s my own fault for putting this stuff on the internet in the first place,” which I know is not technically true, I do hold the copyright to all of my images and therefore have the final say when it comes to what’s done with them, but maybe you understand what I mean anyway.

Last week Emily emailed me to say that it annoyed her that there were pictures of her kids all over Pinterest and that their terms of use basically state that Pinterest owns everything on Pinterest, including all “member content,” which means the images that are pinned, and asked if that bugged me and what did I do about it, if anything? So I looked up the terms, and sure enough, it does basically say that.

Just a quick question, hopefully of clarification. Background: I have a sewing blog (http://made-by-rae.com) that features pictures of not only stuff I sew for my kids, but also, frequently, pictures of my kids wearing those handmade items. I have stated on my website that others are not to use (and often I state underneath photos that show their faces: please do not pin) pictures of my kids.

But of course the long and the short of it is that there are pictures of my kids all over Pinterest (example); it really can’t be avoided, and I understand that’s just how these things go: if I put my pictures online, they will get pinned. When Pinterest was really getting big last year, it bothered me at first, but then I felt a little better knowing that at the very least the pins all linked back to my website, so if anyone wanted to click on it they could see where they come from. It would take me such a long time to hunt them all down and request they be taken down…it just seemed like too much trouble, frankly.

I wanted to see what your policy on all this was, so I clicked around your copyright and terms pages. This particular statement bothered me:

Ownership

The Site, Application, Services and Site Content are protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws of the United States and foreign countries. Except as expressly provided in these Terms, Cold Brew Labs and its licensors exclusively own all right, title and interest in and to the Site, Application, Services and Site Content, including all associated intellectual property rights. You will not remove, alter or obscure any copyright, trademark, service mark or other proprietary rights notices incorporated in or accompanying the Site, Application, Services or Site Content.

“Member Content” means all Content that a Member posts, uploads, publishes, submits or transmits to be made available through the Site, Application or Services.

This is the part that bugs me. I feel like this is saying that as soon as someone puts one of my copyrighted photos up on Pinterest, it now belongs to Cold Brew Labs. Is that what that is saying? Even when “pinners” are never asked to insure that the images they are pinning are really theirs to pin?

So my thought is, maybe it would be nice to have some way to block pinning on photos that are really off-limits. A wordpress widget or something that would allow someone to stop pinning on particular images. I noticed you have the link to report copyright infringement, but for me, that would mean spending hours every week going through pins from my site and weeding out the ones I didn’t want up.

Obviously I really love love love Pinterest and as a person who has a handmade business, your site has been really wonderful for me! Just wanted to figure out what’s going on with this ownership stuff, especially with my kids’ pics.

And, I kid you not, the man wrote me back in LESS THAN TEN MINUTES. I was/am still totally floored/impressed. And if you’ve ever had any contact with Ben from Pinterest, ever, you know that he is quite possibly the nicest man on the planet. I will not directly quote his words here because I have not asked his permission to do so (although if I did I’d probably have a response back before I could finish writing this post, sheeeeesh), but basically he said:

– thanks for writing
– he totally understood and appreciated the concerns
– they are reviewing the Terms of Service
– they have already introduced a little snippet of code that you can put on your website to block all pinning if you want to (found on this page, scroll ALL the way to the bottom)
– they do not currently have something that will prevent people from pinning specific photos, but are working on it

Pretty neat, right? I thought that was very nice of him to get back to me, and be so cool about it. I honestly thought I would never hear back.

I find all of this very very fascinating. Anyway, I thought you guys might find it interesting or even useful too! While I’d love to see them change their terms (honestly I’d just be glad to know that my photos don’t automatically become Pinterest’s as soon as they are pinned) and add a function to be able to block specific photos from being pinned, sometimes it’s just nice to be heard, you know? I’m a pretty simple creature I guess.

What do you think about all this?

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So some of you have noticed that the free patterns that are usually available on this site haven’t been working for about the last week. I noticed only because of the onslaught of (mostly very polite) emails asking what happened to them, which was good because otherwise I probably wouldn’t have noticed. So if you must know, it’s the campiest explanation: the server they were on got unplugged or accidentally turned off, and Mr Rae has been out of town for work (San Francisco…JEALOUS!!!), meaning my normal tech support is temporarily unavailable.

My handsome tech support guy is flying back tonight and I trust he’ll be able to fix the dress in the next couple days. I hate even admitting to you that I’m a pathetic damsel in distress when it comes to technology, but there you have it: I’m lost without my man. Gloria Steinem will just have to deal with it.

Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience; I’m sure everything will be working again soon, and I’ll put a note up on Facebook and Twitter when they’re back up (or you can sign up for my “Rae’s News and Updates” email list right here or on the sidebar of my blog and I’ll be sure to send out a little note when everything is working again. Actually, I’d love it if you’d sign up if you want *any* updates or news from me).

In the meantime, my inbox would appreciate a little break. I’d also appreciate it if you wouldn’t distribute the patterns on your own — that’s actually really not cool. Thanks and have a great weekend!!!

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After the tee-making-frenzy settled down around here last week, I found myself with a dwindling, pathetic little knit fabric stash. A problem that is quickly remedied, I say!!! There is little I approach so enthusiastically as fabric shopping. I’ve talked already about my proclivity towards using thrifted knits, and while I am always a fan of the upcycled garment, thrifting has some obvious limitations that purchasing knits can overcome (yardage being the main one). Unfortunately for me, the only fabric shop within an hour’s drive that carries knits is Joann, and my experiences with their knits has been pretty bad — of the maybe 10-15 jersey knits I have ever purchased there, all but two ended up super-pilly. I do want to mention though that I really do like a bunch of their other apparel fabrics, and their lightweight baby wale cord I use for kids’ pants is especially nice…all that to say: I know I make snarky comments about them sometimes but I’m not a TOTAL Joann-hater.

So for me shopping for knits almost always means online, and knits can be a little harder than other fabrics to end up with what you were expecting if you aren’t buying it in person. Though I have been known to rant on occasion about the difficulty of finding good (quality) knits online, I don’t think it’s a total lost cause. You just have to know what to look for. But before I go any further, I want to state my core belief when it comes to fabric shopping:

It is a waste of time and money to make handmade things with cheap fabric. (Repeat after me)

I do not deny that there are plenty of online shops selling cheap (and by “cheap” I mean poor quality, not necessarily inexpensive) jersey with bajillions of novelty prints, and while the prices are enticing, I value my time too much to sew with fabric that will pill up immediately with the first wear. I’d rather spend a little bit more on fabric that I know will last (and if it’s safer for my kids and the earth, even better). If that makes me a “Fabric Snob,” I guess I just have to accept that, but even if, scratch that, ESPECIALLY if you’re on a budget, it seems like you should be even more wary of super-cheap stuff. It’s easy to justify the purchase at the time, but if it doesn’t hold up, it’s a waste of money and your time, and it doesn’t make sense in the long run. If you can find low prices on high quality fabric, great! It’s just harder to tell the difference when you’re shopping from a computer screen.

So here are my rules for knit fabric shopping online:

Pay attention to the TYPE of knit
The first rule is know what you’re getting, so read the item description to make sure you know exactly what type of knit it is. Jersey and interlock are a good place to start if you’re new to knits, but if I had to recommend just one I would say go for the jersey. It’s not quite as easy to sew with as interlock because it’s often a little more stretchy, but I tend to like the fit and finished product more when I make it with jersey. You can also leave rolled or raw edges on jersey unsewn, so the hemming goes much quicker, if you’re into the “raw” look (SORRY Grandma G – I know you hate those raw edges!! :P). Also, is it cotton? wool? silk? Polyester? These things make a difference in where and how it can be worn and washed.

Pay attention to WEIGHT
Make sure you know if you’re getting something heavy, medium, or lightweight. The medium-weight stuff usually works well for tops, and maybe even skirts, but heavy weight knit would be nicer for pants. And you don’t want to buy something that’s tissue thin if you’re trying to make a skirt (or maybe you do?? Not judgin’). Many online shops will even list the weight (usually in the US that’s in oz/linear yard or oz/square yard), which isn’t the most useful on it’s own BUT could be if you just need to compare one knit to another, or to one you’ve already purchased. And if the weight isn’t listed, just ask; the shop owner can easily get that information for you. If you buy a swatch (see below), the weight is often given on the swatch sticker.

Pay attention to WIDTH
Remember that most knits come in widths of 54-60″ so you’re automatically getting roughly 30-50% more fabric per yard than on the more common 42/44″ width which is more typical for quilting cottons and apparel fabrics. If you’d pay $10 a yard for quilting cotton, that’s equivalent to $13-$15/yard for a wider knit fabric. And for that price, you can get some REALLY nice knit. Something to keep in mind. But also be careful; double-layer knits can sometimes be quite a bit narrower, like 30,” so you’ll need to buy more. And then some knits are also sold tubular (which is how they were made on the knitting machine), so when you cut them open they’ll be twice as wide.

Ask for a SWATCH
You would be amazed at how many shops will gladly provide swatches, even if they don’t advertise it. I just got a bunch of cotton knit swatches (shown above) from Near Sea Naturals (UPDATE: Near Sea Naturals is now Organic Cotton Plus) a few months ago (great shop — they have really high quality organic knits, and one of my goals this year is to purchase more earth-friendly fabric), and it really helped me figure out which colors and weights I want to get. Especially when I’m paying more per yard, it’s really nice to know that the quality matches the price before I commit. Aren’t they pretty? These are really amazing to the touch too.

Remember the manufacturers you like
If you like one knit from a particular manufacturer, buying it in another color/pattern is a safe bet. Example: I really liked some of the Patty Young knits from Michael Miller that were available recently; I ordered a 1/2 yard of a striped knit to try it out and it was super soft and held up well over time. So I ordered some solids as well, and they were predictably similar. I feel I can be fairly certain that if I can find knits I like from MM, they’ll be of similar quality. Shops that sell knit fabric are getting smart and including the manufacturer in the listing, which really helps.

Look at other people’s stuff
I always try to pay attention when I see something in a Flickr pool (like the Celebrate the BOY pool, for example) made with a knit I like. Most people who have a blog will share the pattern they used and where they found the fabric. I’ve found so many great places this way that I never knew about!

OK, so those are my rules, I hope they give you a place to start when buying knits. Do you have any other tips for shopping for knits online?

Brenda at Pink Castle (disclaimer: a sponsor of this blog at the time of writing) recently added a small selection of solid knits to her shop, so I thought I’d show you the pile of knit fabrics I recently bought from her. She also happens to live about 10 minutes from me, so swinging by her place to pick up fabric is really super convenient. And also therefore DANGEROUS. Not in the physical-danger sort of way (Brenda is not a ninja. At least that I know of), just dangerous in the if-this-continues-I-might-need-to-add-on-to-the-house sort of way).

I bought two different types, the pile shown above is jerseys, as you can maybe see by the “curl” along the edges, and that one that looks white is actually a very pale cloud blue. The weight is nice and light, perfect for a top or t-shirt or leggings for Clementine. These jerseys are the Laguna Solids from Robert Kaufman.

The second set here is 1×1 rib knit from Free Spirit. Also great for shirts and tees, but also works really nicely for cuffs and neckbands (like on the skinny tees). Since it resembles the weight and stretch of many of my “stretch tees,” I might try making a tee for myself out of that deep emerald/turquoise color. It’s so pretty. Can you see the “ribs” in the photo below?

I can’t wait to cut into these and show you what becomes of them! Especially since I have sewing for ME on the brain, hneh-hneh.

This series of posts is all about empowering you to sew with knits. Now go sew some knits!!! See more right here

In the process of getting the fit right on the Flashback skinny tee pattern, I made a whole bunch of new tees for the kids. As in, they have skinny tees coming out of their ears now. Here’s a sampling for your perusal:

A little light blue flowered one for C. After this one I adjusted the neckband length (too long!) and the sleeve length (too short!) for the final version of the pattern.

This version was made from an Old Navy tank top I used to wear that was kind of blah:

The fabric is a really lightweight jersey, so I just left the sleeves and hem unfinished and it curled up really nicely. As you can plainly see I also made it short-sleeved because there wasn’t enough fabric in the tank to make long sleeves. Which really just amounts to cutting the sleeve pattern off about an inch or two below the armpit.

Instructions for this “bound” neck finish are included in the pattern.

Here’s another version with the unfinished, curled-up hem; I used a 1.5″ wide neckband here so it came out pretty narrow:

And another one for Elliot with a serged neckband (instructions for this style neck finish are also included in the pattern). Again this neckband was 1.5″ wide instead of the 2″ the pattern calls for to make it nice and skinny.

This is his “I’m going to destroy you with my Fisher Price golf club” look. Be scared.

Here’s another shot of the two alternate neck finishes included in the pattern. Both take a bit more time than the default neck finish, but they provide different looks. I love having options. And truly, this is probably the number one reason why my patterns always take way longer than I plan for; I’m always throwing extra options in to make them more customize-able.

Sometimes it can be hard to find interesting knit fabric, but if you put two stripes together, I think it looks pretty cool!

One of the most best, most fun times for me in the whole pattern-making process is watching the tester versions come in. I’m always super-nervous, sending out the pattern and then the waiting…and then, in my inbox, pictures like this:

I couldn’t talk about sewing knits without mentioning a fun series on sewing with knits that ran this past fall from two lovely bloggy friends of mine, Shannon of luvinthemommyhood and Anna of Noodlehead: Sewing with Knits Mondays! When I asked Shannon to contribute something to the Knit-Mania that’s been going on around here for the last couple months, she mentioned that she had a new hat pattern for knits in the works! I’m thrilled she’s here today to share it with us all as part of the KNITS – Stretch Yourself! series (my let’s-get-sewing-follow-up to the KNITerview series, all posts for both can be found right here).

Shannon’s blog is a little online haven for mommas where she makes you feel right at home. Sometimes there’s sewing, knitting, or roundups. She shares Weekend Wishes, guest posts, and also has a fun series called “Moms in the Mommyhood” which features women who have their own crafty businesses. Recently Shannon’s been on a mission to get the word out about sewing with knits (here’s her sewing with knits tips & tricks roundup) — I love the passion she has for helping people get over their fear of knits. And on top of that, she just released the recent Mallory Cowl knitting pattern. I seriously don’t know how she does it all! Here’s some of her knit tutorials for Sewing with Knits Mondays:

I’m so excited to be here today to be part of the KNITS -Stretch Yourself series! We love sewing with knits over on luvinthemommyhood so when the fabulous Rae asked me to join in I just knew I had to get a hat idea that I had been working on since xmas finished. I am a die hard knitter and love to mix elements & techniques, so for this hat I wanted to replicate the movement and texture that I love out of my knitted slouch hats and incorporate them into an actual sewn hat. I also wanted a hat to wear during the warmer and cooler months. A lightweight, stylish slouch that has a bit of flair and personality. My favorite part of this hat is the construction. I made test hat after test hat to get this just right for you folks. It’s super easy, fast, and simple to customize and even more fabulous to wear!!

The best part is that the hat is made all in one piece! What?! Yep, that’s right – just one pattern piece! There is literally only two side seams to sew and a stitch around the hat. How awesome is that? The rest is some fun hand stitching and customization done to your taste! The twisted cable is actually part of the hat and not an additional piece that is sewn on! I hate bulky ends on a hat and the construction of this hat allows for a softer drape for a sewn garment without the weight and bulk from seam construction. The small side bows add a feminine and whimsical touch that slim the cheekbones and draw your eye up and away for a slimming effect instead of adding bulk and width to the face. If you’ve never been able to wear a bulky slouch hat before this may be the time for you try out the slouch style without the added bulk. Made with a soft, thin stretch it’s light weight, soft and comfortable to wear!

This hat is also a great way for you to practice your sewing with knits skills so brew a pot of coffee, put the wee ones down for a nap and come pop on over to luvinthemommyhood to make your own “Twisted Slouch Hat” and let’s get sewing with knits! It’s time to whip up an adorable new slouch hat!!! I promise sewing with knits is easier than it all sounds and once you jump into it you’ll wonder what all the fuss was about and why it took you so long. There’s no seams to finish and it’s fast and fun to sew with! We can’t wait to see you! Thanks again for having me Rae – luv ya girl! xoxoxo

This skinny tee is my favorite pattern so far! The Flashback Tee is a not-too-tight (but definitely fitted) skinny tee sewing pattern for knits in sizes 12 months – 5T that you can customize in endless ways.

This sewing pattern is delivered via instant download as an 18-page PDF eBook with full color photographs and pattern pieces, a printable instruction summary sheet, and three alternate neck and hem finishes. You’ll find this pattern to be simple, easy to follow, and quick! Some experience sewing knits is highly recommended. The digital eBook including pattern and instructions will be sent to your PayPal email address (please do not request that we forward to a different address. Thanks!) via instant download link as soon as payment is received.

UPDATE: Flashback Skinny Tee is now available in BIG KIDS sizes 6-14! Just make sure you select the correct size range in the dropdown menu when you purchase the pattern.

SELLING FLASHBACKS: Home sewists are welcome to sell handmade garments made from this pattern in your shops, craft fairs, etc. I’d appreciate pattern credit on tags and listings. No mass or factory production please. Questions? Please email me. Thanks!

SUGGESTED FABRICS
For the main part of the shirt, a stretchy jersey, interlock, or 1×1 rib will work nicely. Upcycling old knit garments into new skinny tees works great too! You will also need less than a 1/4 yard of rib knit for the cuffs (stretchy jersey or interlock may also be substituted).

SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT
sewing machine (a serger is not needed, but you may certainly use one to sew/finish your seams)
ballpoint or stretch needle for machine
OPTIONAL: walking foot and/or double needle (see this post)

DIFFICULTY
This is a “confident beginner” pattern. I’ve provided detailed step-by-steps, photos, and hints to help you along the way. However, I do recommend that you have at least some knowledge of and practice with sewing knits before you start (this pattern is not designed to teach someone how to sew with knits; it assumes that you have the experience and equipment necessary to sew simple knit seams with ease). A pretty big factor in all of this is having a decent sewing machine that can handle knits. You may find this post on hemming knits helpful as well. I’m always happy to help as best I can by answering your questions via email!

A NOTE ABOUT FITThe skinny tee is designed to fit an average-sized child in each age range for as long as possible. For example: for an average-sized 2 year old, the 2T tee should be a bit big when the child turns two, and a bit more snug as they near the age of three. Please use the measurements on the size chart provided in the pattern to select the size you need (not necessarily the size your child normally wears). You can add/subtract 1″ at the bottom of both the body and sleeve when going up or down a size to adjust the length. The fabric you choose will also determine how fitted it is. Thin jerseys and knits with less stretch will usually give you a skinnier fit, while stretchy interlocks and knits with less recovery tend to fit a little looser.

*e-Check payments take roughly a week to process, so your pattern will not be sent instantly if you use e-Check. The pattern will be sent to you automatically as soon as your payment clears.

WANT TO SEE MORE?
This skinny tee was featured on my blog in the following posts: